Monday, May 14, 2007

How "fitting"...

... that Carlos Tevez should score the goal that ultimately kept West Ham United in the Premiership. As a result, Sheffield United were relegated by a single goal. It's very easy to say that these clubs didn't get enough points to survive, but had one of them signed Tevez illegally, how many of his goals and assists would have been enough to have kept them up? Tevez has played a major role in West Ham's survival, and it's appalling they have been allowed to get away with it.

The Premier League has disgraced itself over its conduct over the whole affair. Precedent for fielding ineligible players is to deduct the team points, simple as that. West Ham pleaded guilty - after their lies and botched attempt at a cover up made it impossible for them to plead otherwise - and have been rewarded. Perhaps the Premier League's rule is to only deduct points from teams who mistakenly play incorrectly registered players?

The whole thing leaves a sour taste in my mouth, because once again the stench of corruption is rife. Any "independent" tribunal that resorts to justifying its action because of the "fans" or because it dallied over making its decision is clearly on shaky ground (and why should this tribunal set the punishment anyway? Surely its job is to ascertain guilt or innocence, not decide the punishment?), and I hope the seven Premiership clubs who are joining together to contest West Ham's Premiership status are joined by more clubs, and that justice is ultimately done, even if the Premier League are too gutless to do anything about it.

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